High dynamic range vibrating beam accelerometer
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsJames Christopher Milne, Stephen F. Becka
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Abstract
An accelerometer system including an accelerometer comprising a proof mass assembly the proof mass assembly comprising: a plurality of dampening plates; at least two proof mass elements, wherein each proof mass element of the at least two proof mass elements is disposed between two dampening plates of the plurality of dampening plates; and a plurality of resonators, wherein at least two resonators of the plurality of resonators is coupled to each proof mass element of the at least two proof mass elements.
Claims20
An accelerometer system comprising an accelerometer comprising a proof mass assembly the proof mass assembly comprising:
- a plurality of dampening plates;
- at least two proof mass elements, wherein each proof mass element of the at least two proof mass elements is disposed between two dampening plates of the plurality of dampening plates;
- and
- a plurality of resonators, wherein at least two resonators of the plurality of resonators is coupled to each proof mass element of the at least two proof mass elements.
A proof mass assembly for an accelerometer system, the proof mass assembly comprising a plurality of proof mass sub-assemblies, each proof mass sub-assembly comprising:
- a proof mass element;
- two dampening plates, wherein the proof mass element is disposed between the two dampening plates along a sensing axis of the accelerometer system;
- and
- at least two resonators, each resonator of the at least two resonator being coupled to an opposite surface of the proof mass element,
- wherein each proof mass sub-assembly of the plurality of proof mass sub-assemblies is configured to react in response to a different range of acceleration values.
An accelerometer system comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- an accelerometer comprising a proof mass assembly the proof mass assembly comprising:
- two dampening plates;
- a proof mass element disposed between the two dampening plates of;
- two resonators, wherein each resonator of the two resonators is coupled to an opposite surface of the proof mass element;
- two protrusions extending from an outer perimeter of the proof mass element;
- and
- signal traces extending between each resonator and a respective protrusion,
- wherein the processor is configured to determine an acceleration experienced by the accelerometer based on electrical signals from the two resonators, and wherein the two resonators are electrically coupled to the processor through the two protrusions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.